Kyiv Investment Forum was held at Mystetskyi Arsenal on September 17, 2019. It was dedicated to creating a successful and progressive Kyiv agglomeration. The idea of creating Greater Kyiv has brought together about a thousand experts, diplomats, representatives of business and community, foreign municipalities, local governments and investors, including at least 120 participants from other countries. The Forum was also attended by Mayor of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski and Deputy Mayor of Budapest Gabor Bagdi.

Mayor of Kyiv Vitalii Klitschko opened the Forum. “We need to follow the developed metropolitan areas and implement them in our native city. Kyiv remains the leader in most sectors of the Ukrainian economy. The capital accounts for 20% of Ukraine’s GDP. It is also the educational, cultural, and sports center of the country. Therefore, creating the Kyiv agglomeration will help to increase jobs, inflow of tourists and, accordingly, revenues to the Kyiv Region communities’ budgets,” said Vitalii Klitschko.

Foreign experts, the Forum’s speakers, supported the path chosen by the Kyiv authorities to create the Kyiv Agglomeration Association and stood in full solidarity with the opinion that the future of Kyiv lies in the development of Kyiv Region. In their view, it is necessary to develop the city’s infrastructure and various services in addition to housing construction. The metropolitan region must be at the forefront of progress and demonstrate environmental touchstones such as a smart transportation system and smart city to all surrounding communities.

Deputy Mayor of Budapest Gabor Bagdi said, “Following Budapest, Kyiv should promote the renovations and engagement of creative youth in further urban development and innovation. This should happen gradually, step by step. The city must attract young people with the renovation of public space, parks, quality public services, ecosystems of companies, startups, delicious gastronomy, so that everyone, both residents of Kyiv and its guests, can enjoy it”.

Courtney Finger, chief editor of FDI Magazine at Financial Times, said that return on investment is very important. Kyiv is one of the best cities in the world to attract investment. Compared to the previous year, there is a 3.5% increase in investment. Ukraine needs to invest more in tourism development in both Kyiv and other cities. Kyiv is No. 1 in the business environment.

According to Head of Cisco Business in Ukraine Serhii Martynchuk, the modern metropolis is an organism. Any infrastructure is a tool to meet the needs of the city community.

“The arising problems are unique to each city, so it is important to correctly determine the focus of development. Investors really want to understand that this focus will remain relevant for a year or two. At the same time, it is essential to involve citizens in it. Otherwise, investments can be wasted,” said Serhii Martynchuk.

In the context of Kyiv Investment Forum, four panel discussions were held: “Creative Economy Is the New Breath of the Kyiv Agglomeration”, “Cultural, Music, and Sporting Events as a Catalyst for Urban Tourism”, “Service and Infrastructure Solutions for the Development of the Metropolitan of the Future”, “Global Trends. Ukrainian Realia. Vision of the Kyiv Agglomeration”, as well as a closed investment session and an exhibition of startups, presented by the Forum’s partners. The dialogues were moderated by international journalist Taras Semeniuk, YES Executive Director Svitlana Kovalchuk, founder and chief editor of mind.ua Yevhen Shpytko, director of the USAID project “Development of a Course for Strengthening Local Self-Government in Ukraine (PULSE)” and Candidate of Economic Sciences Ihor Parasiuk, as well as Daria Zarivnaia, founder of Vector Business Media/ Content Studio and Charitum Social Networking Platform.
The speakers of Kyiv Investment Forum 2019 were also Mayor of Kraków Jacek Majchrowski; Nobel Peace Prize Winner 2007 Rajendra Pachauri; Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Olena Lytvynenko; Chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Fintech and Innovation Companies Rostyslav Diuk; Head of the All-Ukrainian Association of Administrative Services Centers Nataliia Shamrai; Mayor of Bucha Anatolii Fedoruk; Executive Director for Business Development at WISTA MANAGEMENT GMBH at the Berlin Adlershof Science and Technology Park Dr. Helge Neumann; mobility, passenger transport, and urban planning consultant Stéphanie Priou; founder of the Ukrainian real estate development company KAN Development Ihor Nikonov; Deputy Chairman of Oshchadbank Anton Tiutiun; Head of Google Marketing Solutions in Central and Eastern Europe Nina Levchuk; Cisco Business Manager Serhii Martynchuk; Artistic Director of PinchukArtCentre Bjorn Geldhof; founder of Atlas Weekend Music Festival Dmytro Sydorenko; Director of Regulation and Public Policy for Bolt (Taxify) Dominick Moxon-Tritsch; General Producer of TAVR Media Holding and director of HitFM Vitalii Drozdov.

Moreover, the cultural community of the capital actively participated in the event. One of the best art dealers in Ukraine, Ihor Abramovych presented the works of such prominent Ukrainian artists as Serhii Sviatchenko, Yana Bystrova, Maryna Skugarieva, Roman Minin, Arsen Savadov, Anatolii Kryvolap, Vinni Reunov, Vasyl Tsagolov, Oleh Tistol, Stepan Riabchenko, Yurii Solomko, Viktor Sydorenko, Alexander Reitburd, as well as the sculpture of Yehor Zigura “The Colossus that Holds the World”.

The basis of the new logo of Kyiv Investment Forum was Hanna Kryvolap’s painting “The Church of St. Andrew” from the series “Kyiv Horizons”, symbolizing the mediator between the historical past and the energy of the future.